Poinsettia plant named ‘NPCW02044’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘NPCW02044’, characterized by its compact, uniform and upright plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; red-colored flower bracts that resist fading; early flowering habit; and good post-production longevity.

Botanical classification/cultivar denomination: Euphorbia pulcherrimaWilld. cultivar NPCW02044.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPoinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘NPCW02044’.

The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new freely branching Poinsettia cultivars withupright and uniform plant habit and attractive flower bract coloration.

The new Poinsettia originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 1997 of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrimaWilld. identified as code number S 219, not patented, as the female, orseed, parent, with a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrimaWilld. identified as code number R 82, not patented, as the male, orpollen, parent. The cultivar NPCW02044 was discovered and selected bythe Inventor in 1999 as a flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Stuttgart,Germany. The selection of this plant was based on its attractive leafand flower bract coloration and uniform plant habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminalcuttings taken in a controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany since2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘NPCW02044’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘NPCW02044’ as a new and distinct Poinsettiacultivar:

1. Compact, upright and uniform plant habit.

2. Dark green-colored leaves.

3. Red-colored flower bracts.

4. Early flowering; response time, about eight weeks.

5. Good post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ from plants of the parent selectionsprimarily in plant habit and flower bract coloration.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the cultivarFiscor, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,364. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the newPoinsettia differed from plants of the cultivar Fiscor in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact than plants of thecultivar Fiscor.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more upright and not as outwardlyspreading as plants of the cultivar Fiscor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Poinsettia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view ofa single flowering plant of ‘NPCW02044’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Stuttgart, Germany under commercial practice ina glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 20 to 30°C., night temperatures ranging from 16 to 20° C., and a maximum lightlevel of about 70 kilolux. Cuttings were harvested in August and plantedinto 12-cm containers when rooted and pinched once. Plants were floweredunder natural season short day/long night conditions. Plants were about15 weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photograph and the detailedbotanical description were taken. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivarNPCW02044.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrimaWilld. identified as code number S 219, not patented.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrimaWilld. identified as code number R 82, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Vegetative terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 12 days at 22° C. Winter: About 15days at 22° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About 20 days at 22° C.Winter: About 23 days at 22° C.

Root description.—Fibrous; freely-branching; white in color.

Plant description:

Growth habit.—Compact, upright and uniform plant habit; invertedtriangle; top of plant rounded; low vigor.

Plant height.—About 20 to 25 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 25 to 30 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: About four to sixlateral branches develop after pinching. Length: About 20 cm. Diameter:About 5 to 10 mm. Internode length: About 1 to 4 cm. Texture: Smooth,glabrous. Color: 143A overlain with 183A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Quantity of leaves:About 8 to 15 per lateral branch. Length: About 4 to 10 cm. Width: About2 to 7 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire withslight irregular lobing. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper andlower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth. Color: Developing foliage, uppersurface: 144B. Developing foliage, lower surface: 143C. Fully expandedfoliage, upper surface: 139A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:137B. Venation, upper surface: 139A. Venation, lower surface: 181A to139D. Petiole: Length: About 2 to 4 cm. Diameter: About 2 to 3 mm.Texture: Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 183A.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs ofcyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.Inflorescences not persistent.

Fragrance.—None detected.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter; flower initiation anddevelopment is induced under short day/long night conditions.

Response time.—Early flowering, about eight weeks.

Post-production longevity.—Plants of the new Poinsettia maintain goodsubstance and bract color for about three to four weeks under interiorconditions and about four to five weeks under greenhouse conditions.

Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch; about four to sixper plant.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 15 to 20 cm. Height (depth): About 2to 5 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of fully developed flower bracts: About six toeight per inflorescence. Length: About 7 to 10 cm. Width: About 4 to 6cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire withoccasional lobing. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth.Surface: Concave. Color: Developing and fully expanded bracts, uppersurface: 45B; color becoming closer to 46B with development. Developingand fully expanded bracts, lower surface: 46C. Venation, upper and lowersurfaces: Same as lamina. Bract petiole: Length: About 1 to 3 cm.Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture: Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper and lowersurfaces: 183B.

Cyathia.—Quantity of cyathia: About four to seven per corymb. Diameterof cyathia cluster: About 1.5 to 2.5 cm. Length: About 4 to 7 mm.Diameter: About 3 to 5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, immature and mature:143C.

Nectaries.—Quantity of nectaries: One per cyathium. Diameter: About 2 to3 mm. Color: 13A to 14C.

Peduncle.—Length: About 1 to 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Aspect: Erect.Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Glabrous, smooth. Color: 144C.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity of stamens: About five to ten percyathium. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color:9A to 12A. Amnount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 9A to 12A.Pistils: Quantity of pistils: One per cyathium. Pistil length: About 3to 5 mm. Style length: About 2 to 3 mm. Stigma color: 185A.

Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common toPoinsettias has not been observed on plants grown under commercialconditions.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been observedto tolerate temperatures from 14 to 38° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named‘NPCW02044’, as illustrated and described.